


love on the brain

by beanieklaine (princeissy)



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 20:57:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13689660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princeissy/pseuds/beanieklaine
Summary: Chris and Darren enjoy their first Valentine's Day as husbands at home after weeks of not seeing one another. These are the little ways they show their love.





	love on the brain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [controlofwhatido](https://archiveofourown.org/users/controlofwhatido/gifts).



> Written for the 2018 Crisscolfer Valentine's Day Gift Exchange, who prompted a cozy Valentine's Day between the two new husbands. Hope you enjoy!

Darren had wanted to spend their first Valentine’s Day as a married couple together. They had not been able to spend Darren’s birthday together, as Darren was on the last leg of the press tour of his new movie in London and Chris was camping out at his publisher’s office in New York to finalize the edit of his newest book, and so they were determined to be home together. Together, in the new house they had purchased in Los Angeles that was distinctly theirs, with their things amalgamated together, no distinct mine or yours but an ours. 

Darren had managed to block off a week in between promoting his new movie and shooting the next one, and after the book was finalized Chris had the next year to finish his screenplay. It would be their first relaxed week together since the holidays.

They had agreed not to get each other presents, just wanting a relaxing week away from work and the press, though Darren had obviously ignored that promise. After all, he reasoned, the box of chocolates he had bought was big enough for both of them, so really it had been less of a present and more of a treat to share. Perhaps fifty dollars might have been too expensive for chocolate, but it was the type that Chris secretly loved, filled with nuts, though as an Anglophile, Chris probably would have loved it just because it was British.

After three exhausting weeks of press, Darren arrived home, knowing Chris would not be home until late that evening. Noting with a frown, their living room still had the fake Christmas tree they had left up despite the holiday season being now long over. That would not do, Darren noted, and with a smile on his face and an idea, he headed off to the store.

 _Hey_ , Darren’s phone lit up with a text from Chris. _How was your flight? Heading to the airport now. Miss you x_  
_It was fine, no annoying babies this time. Can’t wait for you to get home tomorrow. Have a safe flight. Miss you too and see you sooooon x_

Pushing one of the carts down the aisles, Darren piled in as much of the Valentine’s Day decorations as possible. It might be cliched, but Darren hadn’t had someone to spend the cheesy holiday with since Chris, and despite their usual lowkey day, it was their first holiday as a married couple and he wanted to celebrate it.

Looking at his work later that evening, Darren smiled, satisfied with the new state of the living room, padding upstairs into their (shared!) bedroom and snuggling under the covers of their bed on his own side (the left, facing the window they had installed facing the tree outside), his nose buried in the pillows that still vaguely smelled of Chris. It had been too long since they had shared a bed, spent sleepy mornings trading kisses.

(Chris arrived home much later, at three in the morning, dropping his suitcases by the front door and sleepily dragging himself in bed next to his warm, sleeping husband.)

xoxoxoxo

The next morning, Darren woke up early, comfortable and warm, his head pillowed on Chris’ chest and his arms wrapped tightly around Chris’ middle. He had missed waking up like this. Spending only a few minutes relaxed in the arms of his husband, Darren got up quietly, careful not to wake up his exhausted husband who had gotten only a few hours of rest.

Yawning sleepily, Darren grabbed out the ingredients to make Chris’ favorite chocolate chip cookies. Though Chris never cared for breakfast, Darren wanted to make him something to eat in bed that morning, and Chris always had a batch on hand when he was home. Grabbing some avocados he had bought the night before and toasting off some wheat bread, Darren was satisfied with the little breakfast he had made, and he headed upstairs, a can of Diet Coke on hand as well.

Chris woke up as Darren creaked the door open, the little portable tray that Darren had insisted on just for occasions like this. 

“Good morning,” Darren smiled at his sleepy husband. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Pecking Darren on the lips, Chris motioned for him to snuggle up beside him. “Happy Valentine’s Day. This is a pleasant surprise. I suppose that I can agree that breakfast in bed is nice, as long as someone doesn’t drop crumbs everywhere.” 

The last bit was said a little accusatorily, and Darren had the decency to look a little sheepish; the last time they had eaten in bed, Darren had been a little overzealous in moving on to morning sex together (though in his defense, pancakes and syrup wasn’t exactly the most pristine food).

“I love you,” Chris whispered quietly after they had finished breakfast. Chris had always been reticent in expressing his feelings, hiding them beneath layers of fond sarcastic remarks and showing his love through actions. Despite his occupation as a writer, Chris struggled with finding words on the spot, though after so long together Darren knew and didn’t need to hear it that often. Still, hearing it affirmed was always nice, and Darren broke into a smile before repeating back those three words, leaning in for a kiss that very quickly became passionate.

xoxoxoxoxo

A little while later, Darren laid sticky but sated, his head cradled underneath Chris’ jaw, his face nestled in Chris’ neck. After lying in bed lazily, they both showered together, a luxury that some took for granted but they knew to savor. It was too rare recently for them to get opportunities together like this, and Chris relished in watching the soap suds slide down Darren’s skin and over the curve of his ass. 

“Like what you see?” Darren smirked, catching Chris’ stares. Once the blatant flirting would have embarrassed Chris, but now it just made Chris smile.

“Of course,” Chris teased back. “Up for a round two?”

xoxoxoxoxo

Much later, Chris was snuggled up against Darren, his fingers tangled in his curls, on the couch in the living room.

“I can’t believe I’m dating a five year-old. You actually went out and redecorated the tree,” Chris said, gesturing to the Christmas tree (now Valentine’s Day tree, he supposes) in the corner of the room with only a slight look of disbelief on his face. “You would.”

“I resent that. I’m at least five and a half,” Darren quipped. “And of course. Though maybe the naked baby cupids were a bad idea.” Laughing, Chris burrowed his face in Darren’s chest, pressing a kiss right over his heart. 

“That reminds me. I got you something in London.” Darren stood up, regretfully untangling his fingers from Chris’ and unzipping a pocket of his suitcase, pulling out a giant box of Cadbury chocolate that must have taken up three-quarters of the space. 

“I thought we agreed not to get each other anything,” Chris chided, his tone scolding but his face betraying his excitement. “I suppose it’s fair, considering I got you something as well.” Pulling out a mug shaped more like a giant teacup from carefully wrapped in paper with their shared last name engraved all over it in gold, Chris said, “For our collection.”  
“I love it,” Darren strolled over to Chris to kiss him. “Come on, chocolate and that English breakfast tea you love so much?”

Seated on adjacent breakfast stools at the grey marble island they had picked out together, Darren grabbed a few chocolates to feed to Chris, who rolled his eyes at his husband’s antics but smiled permittingly nonetheless, opening his mouth. 

Darren had nobly announced that he, just today, had no appetite for coconut (Chris’ favorite of the chocolates, and well over half the box) and claimed only to want the cherry-filled chocolates (the ones Chris refused to touch). Chris had insisted, however, and together they had finished the coconut-filled chocolates, leaving the cherry ones untouched, though Darren had fed the last coconut chocolate to Chris, chasing the flavor from Chris’ sticky lips.

xoxoxoxo

Later, Chris pulled out his vinyl record player, picking out Darren’s favorite ambient indie vinyl and setting the needle to play. Darren had set up some fresh flowers in a vase on their dinner table, as well as a slightly crooked white tablecloth and a couple of Chris’ candles. 

Heading into the kitchen, they cooked dinner together, hip to hip as they worked in tandem to wash and chop and sauté, a feeling of domesticity settling over them.  
Chris, known to be hopeless at cooking, chopped some vegetables and salad greens into his attempt at equal-sized pieces and poured out some wine (Chardonnay, at Darren’s request) into glasses. At the same time, Darren scooped some of the chopped veggies onto a baking tray with two fillets of salmon, topped with lemon and butter.  
After the food was finished and a couple more cookies from the morning devoured, Chris dragged Darren upstairs, the two quickly completing their evening routines to get ready for bed before snuggling under the covers, exchanging slow, sweet kisses. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, D,” Chris whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Darren whispered back, his hands lightly caressing Chris’ cheek, the silver wedding ring glistening in the moonlight that filtered into their bedroom. “Here’s to many more.”

**Author's Note:**

> Reblog on [Tumblr](https://beanieklaine.tumblr.com/post/170894455054/love-on-the-brain).


End file.
